New Zealand’s intoxicating potion of power and poetry seals World Cup

New Zealand 34 Australia 17<br>The final had been fought, victory was secured, and the famous gold trophy regained by its rightful holders. 

As their lap of honour in front of their many thousands of delighted compatriots concluded, these majestic All Blacks regrouped for one last task.

With the Webb Ellis Cup glistening on the turf in front of them they performed a final haka of this 2015 World Cup, laying down yet another challenge to a watching world, as if to say you’re going to have to come up with something pretty special to take this prize from us four years from now.

So it has come to pass. New Zealand, World Cup winners again and with still more history in their sights.

Mesmerising, ruthless, and relentless, the All Blacks marched into the record books at Twickenham on Saturday night, the first team to successfully defend their title, the first country to win this tournament three times.

For captain Richie McCaw and his all-conquering side, unbeaten at a World Cup since a 2007 quarter-final defeat that scarred a nation, this victory over Australia in a thrilling finale was the completion of a mission started on home soil four years ago when the player described by coach Steve Hansen as the greatest All Black ever first lifted the cup at Eden Park.

“It would have been pretty easy in 2011 to sit back but the standard was set,” McCaw said on Saturday, speaking of the ceaseless desire to win that grips all those who pull on an All Black jersey.

“We said four years ago that we get on the road again with this being the end goal, try and do something no one else has done. I’m so proud of the guys. We lost a bit of momentum in the second half but we kept our composure and came back strong.”

That determination not to settle for what has been achieved but to strive for more will inevitably continue throughout the next four years to Japan 2019 and the bid for three in a row, handed on from McCaw and his cohort of Kiwi legends Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Keven Mealamu, and Dan Carter to a new generation of rugby superstars, all of whom combined magnificently at Twickenham to produce a special performance that was simply too good, too powerful, and too clinical for Australia to live with.

From the first minute, when kick-returning full-back Israel Folau ran into a black brick wall, McCaw blew Michael Hooper away in contact, Will Genia saw his box kick charged down, and captain Stephen Moore emerged from the preceding ruck with a bloodied nose, the Australians knew they were up against it.

If they needed confirmation they were facing a side bristling with physical intent they got it 25 minutes later when Matt Giteau was knocked senseless trying to halt a thundering Brodie Retallick carry.

These All Blacks, of course, are more than just an athletic juggernaut, they have a creative rugby engine that at times on Saturday was sublime to watch. Fly-half Carter, playing his final Test four years on from missing the 2011 final through injury, had kicked New Zealand into a 9-3 lead when the poetry took over from the power.

Nehe Milner-Skudder scored in the corner to finish an excellent sweeping move of soft hands and dancing feet just before the break and, two minutes after it, replacement Sonny Bill Williams, on for Conrad Smith at half-time, wonderfully offloaded twice in consecutive carries to set Nonu free from halfway, Carter adding his second conversion to give New Zealand a three-score cushion at 21-3.

The Wallabies, so wonderfully transformed over the last 11 months by coach Michael Cheika, were no makeweights in this enthralling contest, clawing their way back to 21-17 as New Zealand lost full-back Ben Smith to the sin bin and were punished by two converted tries, from David Pocock off a driving maul and Tevita Kuridrani, who got on the end of a well-weighted Genia kick ahead.

Yet just as the Australians in a disappointingly muted capacity crowd of 80,125 grew hopeful, Carter was on hand to snuff out all such aspirations. Just as he had changed the course of the previous Saturday’s semi-final against South Africa, he sent over another brilliantly executed drop goal to put New Zealand back in the driving seat with 11 minutes remaining.

The Wallabies had clearly decided ‘Get Carter’ was their modus operandi, but no number of late or high hits on the fly-half could stop him making an indelible mark on this game and he climbed off the floor to add a long-range penalty that effectively ended the contest six minutes from time.

Not that Australia gave up. They kept pressing for a score but suffered for over-reaching, Drew Mitchell spilling in contact, Ben Smith pouncing and setting loose Carter’s heir apparent Beauden Barrett for the conclusive try under the posts.

The baton had been passed, but not before Carter had added his final points in black with the conversion. Barrett, Retallick, Milner-Skudder, Williams — these are new princes of this All Blacks team. With the old guard they helped add to the legend at England 2015, now the next generation is charged with continuing the legacy.

NEW ZEALAND: B Smith; N Milner-Skudder (B Barrett, 64), C Smith (S B Williams, h-t), M Nonu, J Savea; D Carter, A Smith (T Kerr-Barlow, 71); J Moody (B Franks, 58), D Coles (K Mealamu, 65), O Franks (C Faumuina, 54); B Retallick, S Whitelock; J Kaino (V Vito, 71), R McCaw, (S Cane, 80), K Read.

Yellow card: B Smith, 52.

AUSTRALIA: I Folau; A Ashley-Cooper, T Kuridrani, M Giteau (K Beale, 26), D Mitchell (M Toomua, 65-70); B Foley, W Genia (N Phipps, 65); S Sio (J Slipper, 58), S Moore – captain (T Polota-Nau, 55), S Kepu (G Holmes, 58); K Douglas (D Mumm, 15), R Simmons; S Fardy (B McCalman, 60), M Hooper, D Pocock.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).

Key moment:

For the second week in a row, a Dan Carter drop goal proved the real momentum shifter for New Zealand. Against South Africa in the semi-final the fly-half had got his side back on the front foot. This time, he stopped an Australian rally with a brilliant and difficult strike to restore daylight and give the All Blacks a 24-17 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Talking point:

Is this New Zealand outfit the greatest rugby team ever? Their body of work over the last four years, becoming the first side to retain the World Cup and losing just three times in the interim, suggests it is, their greatness encapsulated in their last three performances. They destroyed France in the quarters with a showcase of running rugby, won an epic war of attrition in the semis against the Springboks and combined both facets superbly to see off Australia.

Key man:

It has to be Dan Carter, whose 19 points with the boot laid the platform. We’ve mentioned the drop goal but his long-range penalty in the 75th minute, having just been hit by a high tackle from Sekope Kepu, was a similar hammer blow. Not only that, Carter led the All Blacks tackle count with 12, awesome stuff for a playmaking legend now set to grace the Top 14 and Champions Cup with Racing Metro.

Ref watch:

We’ve praised Nigel Owens time and time again over the years but, alas, this was not the Welshman’s finest hour. Australia will feel they were on the wrong side of too many crucial decisions, including a missed forward pass that preceded a conceded first-half penalty. Ben Smith’s early second-half tip tackle on Drew Mitchell could easily have warranted a red card rather than yellow, while Wallabies props Sio and Kepu’s late and high hits on Dan Carter escaped without a card at all.

Penalties conceded:

New Zealand 7 Australia 10.

Injuries:

Australia’s got the worst of it in this epic encounter, Kane Douglas limping out after 15 minutes, Matt Giteau failing his Head Injury Assessment after going off in the 26th. Remarkably, New Zealand No.8 Kieran Read stayed on the field after suffering what had looked a game-ending injury in the first half. Resuming play with a heavily bandaged right ankle, the hobbling back row was soon back in the fray, even kicking a Garryowen.